This invention relates to a method of separating particles dispersed in a liquid and to a device therefor.
Conventional techniques for separating particles dispersed in a liquid include sedimentation, agglomeration with an agglomerating agent and filtration. Sedimentation requires a long time for the separation. The use of an agglomerating agent has a problem because it remains in the liquid phase. Filtration causes a problem of clogging of the filter, especially when the particles have a diameter of 30 .mu.m or less.
For measuring particle size distribution of a suspended liquid Field Flow Fractionation (FFF) method and Hydrodynamic Chromatography (HDC) are known. These methods, however, cannot separate particles from the suspended liquid.
With a view toward theoretically explaining aggregation and dispersion phenomena in a colloidal dispersion system, DLVO theory has been proposed. Further studies made to develop and modify the DLVO theory results in a method of measuring forces acted between solid particles of mica. No methods are known, however, which can measure a force required for detaching negatively or positively charged particles from an outer surface of a rotor.